Reporting for duty: Hyderabad’s anti-terrorism squad welcomed

Karachi Corps Commander will formally induct the squad into the Hyderabad police at a event in Jamshoro on February 6

HYDERABAD:

The Hyderabad police now have their own anti-terrorism squad trained by the Pakistan Army, following the Sindh government's announcement of a plan to set up a 1,000-personnel anti-terrorism force (ATF) for the entire province.

Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar will formally induct the squad into the Hyderabad police at a event in Jamshoro on February 6. SSP Hyderabad Irfan Baloch, who took the initiative to form the force, told The Express Tribune that 60 men underwent training for five weeks and learnt the army's combat skills, how to carry out swift raids, room clearance, engaging and identify militants.

Baloch claimed that the squad was selected from among the newly recruited police constables who completed their training recently. The ATF will be based in the Police Lines area of Hyderabad and will deal with militants' not just in Hyderabad but in adjoining districts as well.

"In 2012, I formed a similar squad of 56 personnel in Khairpur," said the SSP. "They were trained by the Rangers. However, the capacity of that force has been reduced to that of ordinary policemen."

He asserted that he would ensure that the ATF squad in Hyderabad carried out routine drills in the Police Lines ground. The force will be equipped with G3, SMGs and LMGs. They will get the same salary and allowance as ordinary policemen as the authority to sanction higher salaries rests with the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.